May 7, 2013 4:06 AM

I am 53 and feeling every bit of it. Used to be a runner. Used to be a tennis player. Used to be...Now, while I have wonderful children and a career, I have allowed my fitness to seriously decline. Sitting behind a desk up to 10 hour a day has taken its toll not only on my waisteline. Enough said. I'm sure you can get where I going. I am dedicating myself to getting back into shape (while juggling a million other things). I am looking for a group who would like to commit to the C25k program as well as better eating habits. I will be starting on Monday. Anyone else out there?

Go for it and don't stop. I started running at 52, I'm 56 now, and it's been great. I ran my first ever marathon at 54 (Chicago) and had an awsome experience.

When I started runnning it was horrible - I couldn't run 1/4 mile if my life depended on it. It took a long time before I was able to run a full mile without stopping, but I did it. In the meantime I lost 20 lbs, and I don't miss them. I feel better, I eat better, my cardio-health is better.... it's all better.

But in fair warning, I have gone through a whole slew of injuries, mostly because of stupid enthusiasm and not knowing anything. 2012 was a disaster for me running-wise, but now I'm a bit older and hopefully a little wiser.

I've learned to buy good shoes from people that know about running, good socks, hydration and fueling, chiropractors and massus's. My biggest lesson has been to listen carefully to my body - at this age (at least in my case), if it hurts, it's going to be a problem if not taken care of.

I'm 52 and at age 47 I lost 60 pounds and started running. The key is getting into a routine and making it part of your day just like brushing your teeth or anything else that you do. No excuses just do it. If you stick with it you will succeed. As Billy said you will have problems because you are like an old car and will break down. The upside is that you will be in better health. I started by doing 4 minutes of walking on a treadmill and slowly increased it to where my normal workout is now 1 1/2 hours 6 days a week. Look for a local running group in your area. Often they will offer several running activities during the week.

I feel your pain, Laserjones. I used to run in the late '70s but have been a sedentary smoker for the past 30 years. (Quit 3 months ago.) I'm doing week 5 day 3 of C25K tomorrow. I'm committed to running a 5k for my 62nd birthday...on Father's Day!